5-tyler
4-roth-huh?
3-plant
2- mercury
1- as if there were any doubt-MICK JAGGER

dont know if this was a topic before but i just watched this tonite, it was the top ten but i only caught the last five

Congratulations for Mick of course, although lists like these always are very subjective. Where is Jim Morisson? Don't tell me either Roth or Tyler beat Jim Morisson as a classic frontman?
And so I could name James Brown, Jimi Hendrix, Elvis the Pelvis and Chuck Berry as frontmen with more charisma in their little finger than Roth and Tyler together.

Once again, a list says more about those who compiled it than its actual subject matter.

Morrisson, Bowie, the Beatles (yes, they had an impact), (actually Brian Jones and later Keith has had a great impact as sidemen)

... do solo artists count as frontmen?

with sssoul Wrote:
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> ... do solo artists count as frontmen?


That's what I was wondering about. Solo artists play with bands, don't they? That's why I named some of them in my second sentence.
I don't know too much about Elvis, but from what I've seen and heard from Berry, Hendrix and Brown, they fronted the band they were playing with as much as they were interacting with the public.

Hmmm... Daltrey ?
Gillan ?
Coverdale ?

Paul Rodgers ?

Roger Daltrey has a great voice, but in my opinion Pete Townshend is the frontman of the Who.

t turner

melillo Wrote:
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> 5-tyler
> 4-roth-huh?
> 3-plant
> 2- mercury
> 1- as if there were any doubt-MICK JAGGER
>
> dont know if this was a topic before but i just
> watched this tonite, it was the top ten but i only
> caught the last five


Some great ones there for sure, but its a bit er...."white", isnt it?

grizzlybear Wrote:
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> Hmmm... Daltrey ?
> Gillan ?
> Coverdale ?
>
> Paul Rodgers ?


Rodgers and Daltry are great but aren't all of these guys just posers on stage? They don't really do much.

Mercury, Roth, and especially Jagger were/are all over the stage when they perform and draw the crowd into the entire performance. The show would not be the same without them.

I've never understood the fascination with Morrison but I know his image sells alot of crap: posters, silk screens, beads, etc. Maybe I just don't like what he's selling.

Was there any artists of color on the list? I can think of many performers who are just amazing but they are not part of any band, they are solo. Although Sly comes to mind as a great front man with a band. And guys like Prince and James Brown? Well, that goes without saying - they are/were amazing.

Bon Scott was number one in a survey a few years back.
So what does it all mean?

I would not put Mercury in the top 5 but,Tyler at #5 sounds right.

harlito1969 Wrote:
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> Was there any artists of color on the list? I can
> think of many performers who are just amazing but
> they are not part of any band, they are solo.
> Although Sly comes to mind as a great front man
> with a band.

Hendrix??



And guys like Prince and James Brown?
> Well, that goes without saying - they are/were
> amazing.



Jagger apart, the majority of truly great live performers/front men were acts who were basically solo artists fronting a backing band - Elvis, James Brown, Michael Jackson (never a fan of his music but unquestionably a great entertainer), Hendrix, Springsteen, Prince to name but a few. You could even add a few who were great front performers despite sitting at a piano - Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis - even Elton.

As a front man in a BAND, Jagger is so far ahead of the rest it's pretty much not even up for debate IMO.

problem with these lists is they are done by executives at VH1 , not the fans
most of those guys don't know squat about music either

No one close to Jagger BUT Tyler ripped everything off of him down to the clothes/scarf/sharing the mic. Not an original idea in him.

Scott Weiland is very good.

I am a bit dubious about including solo artists on a frontman list, but how could I not include Mr PLease Please Please?

The list should've looked a bit more like this:

James Brown
Elvis
Otis Redding
Sam & Dave
Mick Jagger
Jim Morrison
Iggy Stooge/Iggy Pop
Sly Stone
George Clinton
Joey Ramone

Having seen a ton of concerts by almost everybody mentioned above in the 70's and 80's (a few 90's) and if not, plenty of live footage this would be my top 5 choices - keeping it white, black performers I would put seperately under R'n' B including PRINCE who's way up there (in no special order, well I'll put JAG first cause he really does deserve it):

MICK JAGGER

other 4:

DAVID BOWIE
JIM MORRISON
ROBERT PLANT
MICHAEL HUTCHENCE

top 6 - 10

FREDDIE MERCURY
EDDIE VEDDER
STEVEN TYLER
TRENT REZNOR
KURT COBAIN/IGGY POP - tie

ROTH - saw VH back in the day with David Lee, nothing special, he was OK, a funny clown
SCOTT WEILAND - liked him WAY BACK in STP, he's a freakshow these days, VERY disturbing

BluzDudes top frontmen of all time

Fronting Bands only:
After Mick

Bon Scott
Robert Pant
Freddy Mercury

then:
Tyler
Vedder
Ray Davies...even with guitar in hand 4 most songs.
Roth (old days)
Morrison
...tie for 10 - Daltry/Rogers
...oh yes, I am sure I forgot someone.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2007-12-06 22:56 by BluzDude.

i cant take a list seriously with david lee roth on it

I agree, take David Lee Roth Off the list - drop him down to #20 or something

I guess some of you guys feel about Roth the same way I feel about Morrison. I only included him in my top 10 because of his mystique.

roven Wrote:
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> problem with these lists is they are done by
> executives at VH1 , not the fans
> most of those guys don't know squat about music
> either


I don't know any of these executives and what they know about music. But what I DO know is that the number of fans an act manages to reach has absolutely nothing to do with the quality of his/her music.

I would say Iggy is in the top 5.

I saw that man at Lolla this year, and the first thought that came to mind was:

"Boy, he gives Mick a run for his money."